Why can two RAW files from different cameras look different even with the same Lightroom white balance settings?
Asked 7/13/2015
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I shot the same scene with a Nikon D750 and D800E using the same lens and exposure settings: manual mode, f/2.8, 30 seconds, ISO 12800. I swapped the same lens between bodies without changing focus or composition.
I accidentally left white balance on auto in-camera, but both files were shot in RAW. In Lightroom I set both images to the same white balance values: 4150K and +14 tint. Even so, the D800E image looks noticeably warmer/yellower than the D750 image.
Is it normal for two similar cameras to render color differently in RAW, even when the same white balance numbers are applied? What explains this, and what is the best way to match them more closely?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
7
Both white balances were set to a temp of 4150 and tint of +14 in Lightroom
Same color temperature and tint does not mean the same white balance on two different cameras, even if the profile is set to Adobe Standard for both, and same process is used. The reason for that is that color temperature and tint depend on the profile, and profiles for different cameras are not equally (in)accurate. "Click-on-grey" is a better way to equalize the white balance between two shots with two different cameras.
Originally by user28381. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user28381
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. Matching the same Kelvin and tint numbers in Lightroom does not guarantee identical color from two different cameras.
Those white balance values are interpreted through each camera’s color profile, and different sensors/profiles can render color and saturation differently. So 4150K / +14 on a D750 RAW is not necessarily visually identical to 4150K / +14 on a D800E RAW.
Other factors can also contribute, including differences in camera calibration, color profile, color space/ICC handling, and overall saturation.
To match them more closely, don’t rely only on identical WB numbers. A better method is to white-balance both images from the same neutral gray area (use Lightroom’s WB eyedropper, or shoot a gray card/color target in the scene). Then fine-tune profile and saturation if needed.
So the short answer is: yes, it’s normal to see visible color differences between two cameras, even with the same RAW editor settings.
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